For the second time this month, a local fisherman has hooked an unusual catch in Northcoast waters Friday morning.

Fishing off Star Rock, Larry Price, 60, got "a great rush" when he hooked and fought a 45 1/2 pound Pacific halibut from his 12-13 foot aluminum fishing boat in Crescent City Harbor.

"Most people catch northern halibut," he said. "It's unusual for a Pacific Halibut to come in this close."

He's fished for halibut in Alaskan waters, where the fish can grow upwards of 200 pounds. There, fishermen put a bullet through their heads before they gaff them aboard. They'd risk capsizing their vessel to try loading the fish while it's still alive.

Like any savvy fisherman, or woman, Price wouldn't tell the type of bait he was using Friday morning.

"I fought it for about 10 to 15 minutes and got it up to the boat," Price said. "My step-son, Tim Longmore, gaffed it in for me."

When asked what his plans for the fish are, Price said it had already been filleted and was in the freezer.

"One of the fishermen told me it was a $200 fish," he said.

Price plans to barbecue the fish with his step-son this weekend.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "It had been feeding on Dungeness crabs; they say the fish tastes like what it's been eating. I'm looking forward to this."

He also had compliments for fisherman Capt. Wes Wesson's veracity. Wesson described Crescent City fishing as being "like the 1960s."

"He's exactly right," Price said.

An equally excited observer, Daryl Oberacher, took a quick photo of Price with his catch and sped to The Triplicate to help publicize the event.

"He was still shaking, he was so excited," Oberacher said.

Oberacher, who recently moved to Del Norte County from Oregon, is President of the Southern Oregon Bass Club.